The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-17
HOW BEER rs ADULTERATED
Why Lager of To-Day Is Not as Whole
some as 1t Was Ten Years Ago.
Method of Brewing the Foaming Bever-
age-Quassia Substituted for Hops.

s'What beautiful amberi" exclaimed the pro-
fesser. as he raised the glass Of beer to his
eye an3 blew away the foam. rs this lager
beerl" he inquired of the barkeeper.
Eyes, sir: that is Pumpsrnickel's lager"
81 did wrong" said the professor, ITO lead the
witness into what is customary, but by no
means accurate statement. This beer. like all
the beer now sold in this market, is. by q fiction
of the trade, called lager. Lager is beer that has
age, whereas all the beer sold is new beer with
but small quantity of stock, lager beer in it.
Modern brewery appliances may have improved
beer to the eye and taste. but at the sacrifice of
its stomachic wholesomeness. Beer is cooled SO
suddenly and so rapidly nowadays that the yeast
does not separate fully. When such beer is
drunk this yeast undergoes the acetic fermenta-
ton, and becomes vinegar in the stomach"
Three or four expert beer-drinkers who were
listening to the professors address gave testi-
mony that they had themselves frequently ex-
perienced this acetic change, and that it was of
more common occurrence than ten years or
more ago
The professor continued; "To prevent this
change it has been charged that some brewers
salicylic acid and this acid. which pre-
vents the change of yeast into acetc acid at
human stomach into which the beer, of which
it is Ingredient. has been poured. OF all
the numerous substitutes Tor hops and malt and
all the chemical sopiistications used by brewers
none are bought of druggists The brewers
do not trust outsiders with the secrets of their
profession, and these things ars beug hit of new
class of merchants thst have sprung mp who are
dealers in brewers supplies. Irish is
largely used by brewers to give body
VIII lie others glucose instead of malt Corn
is used to an enormous extent. The brewer is
in the business for every cent of profit there is
in it and every substitute for honest material
that reduces the cost of his product and in
creases his profit at once engage his attention.
The chemist who can point out any new trick to
the brewer is quickly and handsomely
warded for his suggestion. You doubtless have
at times noticed the powerful purgative
action of beer. If by reason of faulty manipu-
lation there chances to be but a single drop of
oil of corn in glass of beer the purgative Of
feet is little less violent than that produced BY
croton oil The business is full OF tricks and
subrerfuges. but the Indianapolis product is
much better than that made in many other
cities and have reason to believe that the trade
here has not even been suspected OF uslng the
deleterious substances used by brewers else
where.
''There are many substitutes for hops that
are of decidedly injurious character. There is
no authentic record of the use of picrotoxin 1.-THE
active principle of cocculus indicus. fish
berries in beer in this country, but there is the
singular circumstance tnaG cocculuS ln0lcu6, Tor
which there is actually no use in the arts in
medicine, is imported into this country in
enormous quantities. Cocculus indicus has been
largely used in Russia for adulterating beer. 1
The brewers there have been fined for the prac-
tioe and the beer confiscated Even in Bavaria,
where, it is said by Germans the best beer in
the world is made, that product has often been
adulterated with this poisonous berry. Great
Britain which controls the trade of East India, of
course carries the co"culUs indicus from India
in her vessels. Last year 064 hundred weight
was imported into England and the greater
part was re-shipped.
Another substitute for hops is quassia. In
this connection it may be we'll to note what the
National Dispensatory says to the character
of auassia: sQuassia.' it says, is fatal to flies.
and is sometimes used to preserve botanical col
lections from the ravaGes of insects. Rabbits
and dogs have been killed by con-
centrated preparation of the drug. the latter
even by its application to the skin, and
when it's effects were not fatal it produced q
partial paralysis of the limbs It's bitter taste is
more intense than that of most other stomachic
tonics; like them, it excites tho appetite for
food and quickens digestion, but il long con-
tinued it produces arrangement of the stom-
ach.'"
"I've had all them symptoms" remarked q
bear-eyed bystander, and two three others
to having participated in the ex-
perience
The professor continued: "Quassia is such an
intense and persistent bitter that it is doubtful,
the small quantity required to i'm |
part bitter taste to beer, il it could be taken in
sufficient quantities to produce poisonous eff |
fects It is so bitter that one part of the crys-
sazed active principle (quassiin) in 500, 600 parts
water has strong and persistently bitter taste. !
have drunk beer in which the bitter fingered |
30 long to preclude the idea Of hops altogeth-
IT and suggest quassia but had mo time to an |
vestigate beverages which he is imbibing in q |
social way as that would be to destroy the gild-
ng on the butterfly at the very moment when it |
s brightest. Barkeeper. fill these up again"